Broadcast television was hijacked in Chicago on 11/22/1987

On this day in 1987, Chicago-based WGN television station WTTW experienced a guerrilla art airwave hacking by an unknown person or persons. It is still unknown who was behind the “Max Headroom Incident.”

“It was a run-of-the-mill broadcast until the screen suddenly went black for about ten seconds at about 9:14 p.m.. Without warning, a loud harsh atonal static sound overwhelmed the speakers and a man in a Max Headroom mask appeared on screen manically dancing for about 20 seconds before WGN regained control of their airwaves and cut back to the news.” Throughout the evening news, this hijacking happened two times, leaving audiences confused to this day.

Max Headroom was created in 1984 by George Stone, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton as an artificially intelligent (A.I.) T.V. host, which was completely computer generated.

To read more about this historical event, read this article from the Chicagoist.

Happy Birthday to Art Clokey!

Art Clokey was born October 12, 1921 in Detroit, Michigan. And later died in January 8, 2010 in Los Osos, California. His birth name is Author Charles Farrington. While growing up his parents got a divorce when he was nine years old, Clokey stayed with his father until his father died in a car crash. After his fathers passing he went to go live with his mother and stepfather. When he got to his mothers house his stepfather didn’t want to raise another mans son, so they sent him to an orphanage. When Clokey was eleven or twelve he was adopted by a man named Joseph W. Clokey.

When Art was adopted his new father taught him the arts. How to paint, draw, and do film making. His father was a musician who taught at the college. He took Art on his trips to Canada, Mexico and all sorts of other places where he learned a lot more about the art wold. Art attended Pomona College, then in 1943 he joined World War II. After he was done with the military he continued his schooling at his fathers alma mater, Miami University in 1948. Once he was done with school he started his work in animation.

 

Watching Gumby his most famous work, I love how a lot of the stuff in the background is Michigan related. The equipment in some of the videos say “Michigan” on the side of the trucks.

Also that there is always an adventure Gumby goes on in the episode. Something always seems to be happening to Gumby when he just has the most simple task to do. And that he is made out of clay his body will form into the shapes or make the impressions when his body makes contact with something.

-Allie Hayden, ART2570: Video Art

ha ha

10/15 Presidential Debate

• October 15: Presidential Debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, moderated by CBS’s Bob Schieffer

All debates start at 9 p.m. ET and are organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Please make an educated choice that makes sense to YOU and exercise your right to vote 11/4!